Code After Geass
by FabledMaster2100
Summary: After the Zero's Requiem incident, after the death of Lelouch vi Britannia, the world is finally at peace. C.C. is heading a new direction and she is not alone...
1. Introduction

**Code after Geass (Introduction)**

A dirt road stretched miles without end on the hills of a clean countryside. From a distance, there was nothing but one path and green scenery. The even trotting of horses and rolling wheels echoed around the empty landscape. C.C. lain calmingly at the back of the cart, wearing an elegant dress that resembled the ones worn a century earlier. She faced the clear blue sky with a smile and began, "I said Geass was the power of the king which would condemn you to a life of solitude." She looked back without moving an inch and continued, "Hmph, I think that is not quite correct. Right, Lelouch?"

"Hmph," the cart driver responded, "Geass was just an accursed symbol. Those who carry it were forever blamed for corrupting the natural flow of life, of existence, even time. Deep inside them lays a cold heart of shame and despair. Isn't that right C.C.?"

"Perhaps your interpretation is more correct," C.C. said with a smile.

"I don't know about that but there is only one absolute truth in this world," Lelouch replied.

"And what is that?"

"The greatest pain in life is to lose everybody around you."

"How unfortunate, I have lived that way for the past five hundred years."

"Do not despair C.C. As long as I am here, you won't ever be lonely."

"I am glad I've met you dear. This new world you created is something absolutely marvellous!"

"Please C.C.; I am not Lelouch vi Britannia. He is dead; a figure of history remembered by all to be the short-reigned tyrant."

"Call me Cecilia from now on. Only then will I promise to love you. Our contract is broken remember?"

_She is right, the contract is no more. With Lelouch vi Britannia, who represented all the world's hatred has been erased off the Earth, the world is now a better place. Now in this post-war era, my future will be with her. C.C., I mean, Cecilia will no longer be in solitude as long as I am with her. I promised her that we will live a simple life together. _

"What contract? Lelouch Lamperouge didn't form a pact with a witch?"

"If you are not Lelouch vi Britannia anymore, then neither am I C.C. So don't call me a witch! I am a woman now; I am your woman."

Lelouch was startled by her last remark, "Did you just say?"

"Uh-huh, you heard me."

"Well, I see somebody is honest."

"Is it wrong that I see myself that way?"

"I didn't say it was wrong. But it was strange coming out of you."

"There you go again, treating me like when I was C.C.!"

"Alright, alright, you win!"

"It's not about winning! It's about my heart."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Lelouch," C.C. started.

Lelouch returned, "Yes Cecilia?"

"Where exactly is this house you speak of?"

"Why it's here in the countryside! I bought before the Zero Requiem."

"You just have to be different, do you?"

Lelouch chuckled and replied, "The world would be boring if everybody followed one conduct. By the way, that Code-Sealing trick you taught me was genius! I forgot to thank you."

"Since the day you first thanked me, you have thanked me enough. Don't mention it my love."

"That was the day I learned your name was Cecilia."

"I remembered it crystal clear. It was quite romantic actually, although the atmosphere in that cave wasn't."

"Ha-ha, I never thought you had fallen for me since then!"

"I wasn't completely! That was just the beginning of our romance."

"Cecilia, Cecilia, you act so cute sometimes! It's just adorable."

C.C.'s face was flushed with embarrassment when those words slipped out of Lelouch's lips. She threw her doll and bag to Lelouch's right.

"Whoa, are you getting mad after a little tease from me," Lelouch asked in a jovial manner, "Come on, you tease me all the time!"

C.C. placed the pink paper crane Lelouch folded for her on his straw hat and climbed down to his side. Lelouch took off his hat and placed the paper crane in it. He spoke with a gentle tone, "Well, are you mad at me?" She hugged his arm and said, "No, I just needed some company."

_C.C., I mean Cecilia, UGH this is frustrating! Cecilia, like all people, changes by the times. As humanity progress, society evolve, technology improve. She has progressed and her personality has evolved. No longer is she a prisoner of the empire or a prisoner of her own heart. She is free from the shackles of oppression and free to express her true feelings. It turns out; the real Cecilia was sort of like the time she lost her memory. She is cute and selfless, unlike her cold demeanour before. I think I am beginning to enjoy this! There is still a playful spirit inside her and now she can finally let it out. _

"We're almost there Cecilia. Can you see that big house," Lelouch pointed at the horizon.

"I see it," C.C. exclaimed, "My, it looks wonderful!" The house looked like a villa.

"I know. It only costs fifty thousand pounds in this obscure place," Lelouch told her.

"I am just happy for the two of us. Let us live a merry life dearest Lelouch," she said.

Lelouch halted the cart at the front door. He tied a string to a wooden stake by the door and placed a boulder in front of the left hind wheel. "I am sick and tired of living in big cities. It is so cramped and insecure," Lelouch complained.

"So that was why you bought a house here in the open," C.C. asked.

"Partially, I use to live in the palaces of Britannia, where the cold metropolitan atmosphere was non-existent. Also, I just wanted a fresh start, a change in style."

"This place looks even more beautiful up close!"

"Go figure, this house was a built by a wealthy merchant over a century ago as a summer home. The place was last renovated when they sold it to the person I bought it from."

C.C. opened the door and walked in. She gasped at the spaciousness and beautifully decorated walls and ceilings. "This place is lovely," she exclaimed as she spun in circles by the entrance. "Oh the splendid windows and spiral staircase," she exclaimed wondrously as she climbed up the stairwell. Lelouch followed her upstairs after moving her items in. By the time he arrived, C.C. was indulging herself on the wide balcony facing the sun. Lelouch stepped through the glass door and wrapped his right arm around her shoulder. "Did I mention we get this spacious pasture to ourselves," he said.

C.C.'s face lit like a bright candle on a festive day, "Really? All this," she exclaimed.

"I am glad you like it," he said with a smile.

"I can't express my feelings… it's so serene around here and alone with you…I," she stuttered.

"Cecilia, I will stay with you for eternity," he said as he inched his face closer to hers.

C.C. pressed her lips tenderly against his and closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her firm complexion for she was soulfully moved by his passion. "Lelouch, my true wish is to love and be loved. I love you and I am being loved by you," C.C. confessed, "Isn't this just gorgeous?"

"I love you as you desire, just how you like it," Lelouch answered her heart. They stood intimately in each other's arms, in their own privacy, without any observers but the warm afternoon sun.

_Her personality completely transformed. She was a lonely witch who spoke monotonously when we first met. I liberated all her woes and she is now as vibrant as Nature herself; full of joy and vivacity. I'm glad to be with her under this blissful field, this euphoric time. Let's just say, I fell for Cecilia at first sight._

"**For once Geass united the world. Most importantly, Geass united the two of us." (Lelouch Lamperouge)**

"**Lelouch let me be with you****—****always."**

**(C.C.)**


	2. Marianne

**Marianne**

The next morning, Lelouch and C.C. awoke from a good night's rest. The sun showered luminously, through every window in the near-empty house. "Cecilia, there is a small town nearby and I will be gone for two or three hours to buy some fresh food. Stay here and don't go wandering off somewhere. I want to be sure you are safe," Lelouch said by the front door.

"I promise my darling," she replied and gave him a farewell kiss, "I am expecting a feast when you get back."

Lelouch climbed onto the wooden cart and said, "Wouldn't a romantic dinner with select meats, mushroom and good wine be better?"

"Oh you just have to be like this, don't you," was C.C.'s response.

"When it comes down to my fair lady, you deserve the best quality! You know that, don't you," he said with a smirk and started the horses.

"I'll be home in a short while," Lelouch hollered as he waved on the rolling cart, "Be good!"

C.C. stood alone, under the glorious sunlight, in her Victorian dress and braided hair. She spoke quietly to herself, "Marianne, your son is so charming. I couldn't thank you any more at a time like this."

Lelouch was whistling on the path to the town ahead. With his eyes facing straight ahead, he missed a girl who stood on the open countryside hills. Her pink locks tousled in the summer breeze when her eyes fixed onto Lelouch's grey vest and white sleeves. She dropped a basket of oranges and they landed flat in a chaotic arrangement. The girl was startled: very startled, but she did not move from her spot, nor did she speak. Her eyes tracked the cart as it passed swiftly until it was too far to see. And then, the girl picked up her orchard harvest and walked calmly as if nothing had happened.

"What did you say," said a man with aquamarine hair.

"I saw Lelouch vi Britannia," the girl replied.

"Ha-ha! That is good news Anya, master Lelouch has finally settled down," the man erupted in pride and joy, "He said he would join us in the countryside when the time is right."

"I don't get it. I starting to have memories of my own but they are so deceptive," said Anya Alstreim.

"You only know half the story about your scheduled execution, Anya! I, Jeremiah Gottwald will tell you what happened before we became orange farmers!"

"Enlighten me then."

"You see, it all began with his former highness' wish. He wanted to build a better world, a gentler world for his sister, Empress Nunnally vi Britannia. But there was another side to this two-sided sword of a tale. He wanted to confront his father and learn the truth of her Excellency Lady Marianne's premature death."

"You are referring to Marianne the Flash?

"Indeed, she was a noble woman in her own right but was brutally assassinated on the day of my first mission. Lelouch was her only son and he wanted answers. But when he requested an audience of the royal court, he was denied an answer and banished to Japan."

"Poor boy, this story was not made public."

"Precisely, it was never spoken of even amongst the royal family, unlike the death of Prince Clovis and Euphemia. Well back to the point, after Lelouch killed his father, he obtained something that gave him immortality, so he switched his plans in reconstructing Britannia to building hatred towards himself. The Zero's Requiem, guised as a mass execution was to end his tyranny and free the world of suffering. The truth was he never executed the people who opposed his government. That was just a message he personally declared to intimidate citizens. All he ever did was imprisoned those who rebelled, mainly aristocratic families and kept them in a prison for up to two months. They were released after the Zero's Requiem. Your scheduled execution was the only one dispatched for the public to see."

"I see, so the Lelouch vi Britannia we all thought we knew faked his image."

"Correct, unlike most monarchs who fake their image as good rulers, he did the opposite."

"Then he died innocent, yet people today blame all the evil on him."

"That is why I respect him as a man of honour and dignity."

"If he is not dead, then we should pay him a visit," Anya suggested.

"Brilliant idea! Why don't we just do that? Our harvest is nearing its end anyways, we might as well pay him a visit sooner or later," Jeremiah agreed.

Lelouch drove his cart into the town with everybody staring at him. "Good morning! I am new around here and I would like to know where the fruit stands are," Lelouch asked the people who froze around his vehicle. Lelouch attempted again but with a sheepish face, "Sorry about the cart, my house is far away."

"Could it be," cried a man from the side.

"He looks like Lelouch vi Britannia," a woman whispered nearby into her husband's ear.

Lelouch looked around and spots a man walking by his cart and asked, "Excuse me but is there a winery somewhere?"

The man looked terrified and fell on the ground, "Good god! Lelouch vi Britannia is back!"

"Sorry, you must have mistook me for him," Lelouch reacted alarmingly, "I am not Lelouch vi Britannia, he is dead! I am just a citizen who just moved into the country! I'm come here to shop for groceries!"

"You look a lot like him, we were just surprised when you drove in town," a woman said.

"That's nice but I'm afraid I am stuck," Lelouch pointed with a wide smile.

"Let him pass," a man from the crowd said.

Lelouch proceeded to the heart of the town as people returned to their daily.

_Despite this place being undeveloped, people still recognize my face. There are things that make a person who they are and that is their personality. Unfortunately, people judge by one's outer appearance over the nature of their heart. I would have to act dumb to convince the people around here that I am not a dead emperor resurrected. _

"Goodbye everyone! See you soon," Lelouch yelled in a jolly manner on his moving cart. The townsfolk waved back with content looks. One old lady said, "He can't be the tyrant Lelouch vi Britannia. He is too nice of a lad. A good kid he is." Lelouch whistled on his way home, a tune that sounded like a waltz. In the middle of his journey, his horses stopped when a masked man and petite girl was obstructing the way. "Anya! Hi, nice to meet you here! You look pretty in that dress," Lelouch commented cheerfully whilst he was startled, "You too Jeremiah, what brings you here?"

Anya and Jeremiah each went around the horses to each side of the cart and sat beside Lelouch. "I am honoured to meet you again Lelouch vi Britannia," said Jeremiah boldly.

"Please, don't call me by that name anymore. He is history."

"Right, then what should we call you?"

"Call me Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Very well."

"Maybe you could start by dropping the formalities. People would be less suspicious if you are relaxed.

"I will."

"So what have you two been up to?"

"We own an orange orchard just southwest of this direction we're moving. It was actually my private estate."

"Heh-heh, I see you have truly become 'Orange Boy'."

Anya giggled at that statement and looked at Lelouch's handsome face with a soft stare. Jeremiah looked at the groceries between him and Lelouch and couldn't help but notice what he bought, "I see you bought a bottle of Bordeaux wine, steak, a whole bunch of produce and oranges. Did you buy the local ones?"

"Do you mean the oranges," Lelouch asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"Yes, they are yours right?"

"Aw! We could have given you some if you came by our orchards! Anya only saw you today, right Anya!"

"Right," Anya replied.

"To be honest, I just arrived yesterday and moved to a large house where we're heading," Lelouch replied, "Maybe in the future, how about tomorrow?"

"That would be fine," said Jeremiah.

The conversation lasted for another fifteen minutes until…

"Well, home sweet home," Lelouch said.

"Amazing, this is the old Schroeder manor, a summer lodging of the old Schroeders," said Jeremiah.

"I know and I couldn't believe the last owner sold it for only fifty thousand pounds."

"Fifty thousand pounds? It is worth about ten times more! Did you use Geass or something?"

"You make me laugh Jeremiah. I bought this with the money I had before the Zero Requiem."

"Only fifty thousand pounds? That is less than my estate!"

"Well, I welcome you as guests of the house," Lelouch welcomed Jeremiah and Anya into the house. He yelled, "Cecilia, I'm home."

"Who is this Cecilia," Jeremiah asked.

Lelouch smiled and proudly said, "She is my lover."

"You had a secret affair," Jeremiah questioned.

Lelouch chuckled at his reaction and said, "Mr. Gottwald, there is much you do not know about me!" C.C. walked down the stairs in her dress, jumped into his arms and kissed him. Jeremiah cleared his throat. C.C. turned around apologized, "Sorry for my informal introduction. I am Cecilia, nice to meet you!"

"My you have an energetic sweetheart," Jeremiah said.

Anya looked at C.C. with a bored expression.

Lelouch burst out into laughter and couldn't hold himself.

"What is so funny," Anya said monotonously.

"Nothing…Jeremiah your face was just rich back there. Oh you should have looked at it," Lelouch said with uncontrollable laughter. It was quite random but everybody gave in except Anya. She remained utterly confused. Lelouch started to calm down and said, "Come in, I will whip up a meal for all of us."

"Do you need help," Jeremiah offered.

"No. I'm fine by myself. The three of you can get acquainted." Lelouch walked into the kitchen while the others gathered into the vacant living room.

"I used to serve your partner Miss Cecilia but there is a lot I don't know about him," Jeremiah Gottwald began.

"I know her," Anya stated.

"You know her," Jeremiah was puzzled.

"She is C.C., not Cecilia. We have random conversations all the time but I never see her."

"What are you talking about?"

"She must be joking," C.C. said.

"I am not. You don't have to hide it anymore, it is safe now," Anya asserted, "You always called me Marianne and talk about your relationship with Lelouch."

"Marianne," Jeremiah asked, "You knew Marianne?"

"That was why I couldn't remember everything. Marianne took over my mind periodically," Anya explained.

C.C. smiled and confessed the truth, "It is true. Lady Marianne had a Geass power of her own, one that could transfer her mind into another's body. Anya was the one she chose."

"But why," Jeremiah inquired.

"I was there. I witnessed Lady Marianne's death and she saw me. That was the beginning of my frequent amnesias."

"But why would a little girl be in a secured room at night?"

"The truth is, when I first saw Lelouch face as the new emperor, I did not see an emperor in him. Instead, I saw the face of an innocent boy who had been on my camera phone for ten years,"

"You knew him back then?"

"I was a lady in training under the tutelage of Lady Marianne and we always met her kids. Lelouch was the first to ask for my name and I told him I was Anya. We were at a garden and he picked two roses. I liked him so I took a picture so I wouldn't forget his kind face. He handed me one of the roses and said, "Here you go Anya, just remember these roses represent our friendship." Till this day, I still remember that day over many others."

"Wow, I never knew he was always the ladies man."

"Returning to how I obtained Lady Marianne's memories. I wanted to see Lelouch in private so I snuck into the bedchambers in the Aries Palace after dark, which was against the curfew rule. Instead, I found Lady Marianne and Nunnally. Nunnally was giving her mother a goodnight hug, so I hid behind the stairs, away from their sight. After that, it was a blur. I heard bullets and Lelouch's voice moments later. When I came out, my mind went blank and my memories fragmented. You were right, her assassination was brutal; I was there."

"So that was why you told me you don't have memories."

"Ten years later, she came in," Anya said as she pointed at C.C., "He had probably forgotten about me and seeing how introverted I am, I have given up hope."

Lelouch came out of the kitchen, holding four plates of food in two hands and said, "Dinner is served!"

C.C. stood and said, "It's such a shame our evening plans were ruined."

"We have a lot of time Cecilia, but guests are more important. Now it is an evening for all of us to enjoy," Lelouch said with optimism.

The company of four joined at the dining hall but there was no table in sight. "Silly me, I forgot we don't have any furniture yet," Lelouch exclaimed, "I guess we have to eat on the floor! Sorry about that!"

"This is delicious Lelouch; I never knew you could cook so well. Princes just aren't meant to do that," Jeremiah remarked.

"Living alone with Nunnally in Japan led to the need of taking care of her. It was out of necessity and I had to cater to Nunnally's expectations so that was how I became proficient at making dishes," Lelouch answered.

"Is something wrong Anya," Lelouch asked, seeing her down face.

"It's nothing really," was her reply.

"You hardly touched your food Anya. Is it too strong?"

"No, it's good."

"Well, the food will not eat itself! Here, I will feed you. Have a taste of this creamed mushroom; I remember you used to love it at Aries Palace!"

Tears flowed out of Anya's eyes, perhaps the first in ten years. "Anya, are you crying," Jeremiah asked, "You never cried."

Lelouch stared at her eyes as she cried emotionally and said, "Cecilia… I."

"You have to talk to her," C.C. said.

Lelouch nodded and held Anya's hand, guiding her to the living room. When they left, Jeremiah said, "I've never seen her smile and I certainly never seen her cry before."

"Women like to cry with others around them. She was probably moved by Lelouch's memory of their childhood," C.C. deduced.

"I see," Jeremiah said after a sigh.

Lelouch and Anya were kneeling on the floor under the rays of the setting sun. He asked her, "What has gotten into you? Is something bothering you?"

"No," she wept.

"Is it someone?"

She nodded.

"Who is it," he asked.

"You," Anya replied.

"Me? What did I do to harm you?"

"You didn't harm me in any way. I am crying tears of happiness. Now that I know you still remember me back at Aries Palace."

"Of course I do, you were always with Nunnally and I that I treated you like a second sister."

"I was your second sister?"

"Yes, I liked you a lot Anya."

Anya did what was unexpected of her; she hugged Lelouch and whispered into his ear, "I liked you a lot as well."

Lelouch patted her on the back and said, "I am glad you still remember after all of your reports of amnesia. I am very proud you persisted to record your memories."

Anya stared at his hypnotic violet eyes and said, "You commanded me to remember it, to remember the roses."

Lelouch wasn't very sure what she meant about the roses but decided to go with what she said, "Yes, the roses. They were special weren't they?"

"They were to the two of us," Anya replied.

When the sun was about to set, Lelouch drove Anya and Jeremiah back to their orchard. It was a chatty evening, between Jeremiah and Lelouch at least. Anya on the other hand was quiet, like usual, and thought to herself, "Marianne, you have screwed up two thirds of my life thus far. But you have taught me a lot and I thank you. I thank you for keeping my personal memories of Lelouch intact. It was one of the few rewarding ones. Rest in peace my fair lady."


	3. Vengeance

**Vengeance**

The sun was sinking behind the tall mountains afar, and the sky composed of violet bands. Lelouch reached into his vest pocket for his timepiece and checked the time. I was nine o'clock. When he turned around a wall to the front door, he noticed the door was left open. "Cecilia," he shouted, "Are you home?" There was no answer. He tried again, "Cecilia, are you in the house;" still no answer. He stepped into house and it was pitch black. "Cecilia, I hope you aren't teasing me again," he hollered in the dark. Lelouch found a note stuck to the door with duct tape. "What the hell," he said as he ripped the note off. He reached his hands for the light switch and flicked it on. To his shock, he discovered a pool of blood on the floor before reading the note. "No," he yelled in dismay, "No! Who could have done this?" He read the note immediately:

_By the time you've picked up this note, your mistress C.C. would have been kidnapped. If you want her back, decipher this code (this one should be a cinch) and it will lead you closer to her. I promise I will not do anything to her._

_P.S. my henchmen were told to apprehend her in any fashion necessary. _

_JRWR ELJ FORFN WRZHU LQ IHQLA_

Lelouch looked at the piece of paper and laughed at its mediocrity, "Do they think I am retarded? Everyone knows this is the Caesarean Cipher! All I have to do is look for the distribution and calculate my way! Judging from the number of R's in this string, R must equal E or O!" he picked up a pen from his left pocket and scratched to lines. He worked on the code for twenty minutes and deciphered the message. It read: GOTO BIG CLOCK TOWER IN FENIX.

He commented on his labour, "I take it back; they were quite clever to play with the syntax, merging go to and changing Phoenix. Then there is more reason why they must pay!" Lelouch shut the front door and tucked the note underneath. He released one of the horses and jumped onto the back of the horse from the seat of the cart. "Hyah," he yelled and rode into the night.

Lelouch arrived at the big clock tower in Phoenix at twelve o'clock sharp. The bustling city was overwhelmingly decorated with bright lights at midnight. He glared at the tower of grandiose proportions as it rang twelve times. It was a magnificent work of engineering, with the many gears moving in sync, gilded everywhere, but he was not in the mood to take a second gander. He thought to himself in deepest hatred, "Those bastards won't get away with this," and marched into the oversized grandfather clock. Lelouch entered an old elevator to the observation deck, where he expected C.C. was taken. When he arrived at the top, she was not in sight. Instead, he saw a girl in her late teens, enjoying the full moon on the observation deck. She was wearing a beret and carrying a bag around her shoulder, appearing stylish as if she was scheduled to meet her lover. "Sorry to bother you Miss," Lelouch said with respect, "I must be on the wrong floor." He turned around and stepped away.

"This night view of the city is so beautiful, too bad you aren't here to enjoy it with me," the girl said. Her voice sounded sweet like a little girl's.

"Huh," Lelouch was alarmed, "Are you talking to me."

"If C.C. is who you are after, you have guessed the right floor," the girl replied. Lelouch stopped immediately with a cold shudder, "Who are you?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Alright then, where is C.C.?"

"I'm afraid to tell you, she is not here."

Lelouch returned to the girl and she turned around as well. He never met this girl before. She had mahogany hair, red eyes and a tiny mole under her left eye.

"You're leader told me to come here after he kidnapped her and tells me she is someplace else," Lelouch asked.

"Bingo. My master wants something in exchange for C.C," the girl said.

"What is that?"

"My duty here is only to tell you what my master expects from you. After that, you can do anything to me and he wouldn't care."

"You are a dirty girl working for a sick man! Just to tell you, her life is not something that can be traded."

"Do you speak about your love for her or her immortality? My master is well aware of Geass, Code, C.C. and you, _Lelouch Lamperouge_!"

"Who is this all-knowing master you refer to? Why is he such a coward not to show me who he is?"

"Weren't you the same _Lelouch Lamperouge_? Weren't you once a masked terrorist yourself?"

"I fought for justice!"

"How do you know my master is not as well? If you want a video message, here is one."

The girl reached into her bag and pulled out a phone. She showed the video recording and Lelouch jaws dropped at the sight of it. Before the leader spoke, Lelouch immediately recognized the face.

The video played:

_Greetings Lelouch Lamperouge! I am Zero! I know you are still alive and will be living for quite a long time…unless I slay you! You are a despicable demon who must be slain! I cannot allow you to live!_

"Suzaku! I thought you promised me that you will live only as Zero for peace," Lelouch yelled in anger, "What have you done?"

_If you think Suzaku Kururugi is behind this mask? Think again! Suzaku is right here!_

In the video, Suzaku's eyes were wide open and his head was stuck on a stake. Beside the severed head was his torso and limbs locked in chains. It was a gory sight to gruesome to describe.

_That's right…the lord protector has been slain as well. Soon the world will learn of this truth and all of your efforts for order will be wasted. If you were wondering how your friend was decapitated, haven't you ever heard of stun weapons, HMMM? C.C. has been a good girl for she is a very valuable asset for luring you, and maybe even Nunnally! So long sucker, taste vengeance! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!_

"THAT AMATEUR CREEP," Lelouch yelled in rage, "He killed Suzaku in such a horrendous way! Now he wants to interfere with the Empress! GAAAAAH! This I cannot tolerate!"

"Doesn't that remind you of anyone in particular," the girl said with a smirk, "By the way? How are you so sure my master is male?"

"Shut up you pathetic subordinate! I don't understand why a young woman like you would work for this perverted person! Give me that," Lelouch snatched the phone from her hands and bent it in two.

"Destroying my phone will not help you in any way," the girl said.

"It will prevent you from escaping me," Lelouch said, "Because I want to know what your master wants?"

The girl pulled out a pistol and points it at him. She fired a round through his chest but he didn't budge, "I have Code if you don't know. Weapons will not affect me!" Lelouch grabbed he girl's arm and tapped into her memories. She was petrified by the influx of memories, shaking in fear. Lelouch closed his eyes when the gun shook out of the girl's hand and dropped to the floor, "I see now. You were forced into this business. You were coerced by the corrupt nature of men. I see the pain, the suffering from what you had to go through…Claire."

"Stop master," the girl yelled in tears, "Please, don't go in!"

Lelouch stopped the search when he saw those painful recollections and fell short of breath. The girl, Claire shuddered in fear and collapsed. Lelouch stopped her from falling and brought her into the clock tower's interior. "Claire, you are a poor soul, I don't want you to see him again," Lelouch said as he held onto her while sitting against the wall of the clock tower. Minutes later, he fell asleep.

"_Lelouch," cried a voice but he couldn't see her. It was the voice of C.C. in danger._

"_C.C.," he yelled with a heavy force pressed against his chest._

"_Don't leave me," C.C. voice echoed from another direction. He heard the sound of sobbing as well._

The clock struck three. Lelouch awoke from the call and the sun hasn't appeared in the sky. Claire wasn't with him when he awoke. "Huh? Where did she go," he wondered. Then he heard the sounds of a crying maiden. "Claire," he shouted. The girl looked at him in sorrow, stood up and ran for the elevator. Lelouch followed her and found her pressing on the elevator button incessantly while crying. "I am deeply sorry I hurt your feelings Claire," Lelouch began to sympathize with her; "I won't do that again."

"But you did it once and that was despicable! Those memories were private! I felt violated inside," Claire yelled.

"I am sorry," Lelouch repeated, "It is something I should have asked for permission."

Claire slapped him across his face and said, "Do you think apologies are enough?"

"No, I don't. But I wanted to know who stole C.C. from me."

"My memories are not for you to know. You peeked into my past for what you seek."

"They weren't good memories. I was crying inside."

"You wouldn't understand! You are lucky to be born a man!"

"You are wrong. A man is not born luckier than a woman! They are cruel and exploitive, corrupt in every way. I wouldn't call that luck, I call that evil."

"Then you are the same."

"I can't deny it. I can't deny my father was any better."

"Then leave me alone."

"Look, if we don't talk this out, you will always be hiding in your own shadow and produce tears of despair. What are you going to do when that despair accumulates?"

"I don't know and it is none of your business!"

"You will sink deeper into the pit of despair and that will lead to death if you do not accept how lucky you are to be alive."

"How am I lucky to be alive? It is because I am alive that I have to suffer! My family was killed by the nobility and I was forced to serve them. My life was the opposite of a blessing."

"Do you feel better being a criminal? Is it gratifying to kill others and rob them?"

"No."

"Then why do you follow them?"

"I am trapped. I can't leave I will die."

"Then do not follow them. Join me and I will protect you. I swear, I will protect you and end this dirty business of theirs."

"Can you promise that?"

"I vow as long as I live, I want to see you die with a smile."

"Alright miracle maker, you have my trust."

"Now, I want you to tell me who is in charge?"

"He is a wealthy man who wants your head."

"Where did he learn of Geass and Code?"

"He is familiar of the lore."

"What does he want from C.C.?"

"There is one thing you don't know about Code. There is another way to kill people like you."

"He also wants her dead? But he promised he will not do anything to her."

"Do you trust a man like that? He wants to exterminate your kind."

"How does he know she was with me?"

"From the young man he killed."

"That twisted man! He will pay with his life!"

"Now you know how evil he is."

"I have one more question. What is his name?"

"He goes by the name Lord Halford."

Lelouch remembered an aristocrat by the name Halford when he stripped them of their rank. A supervisor of Geass research, he was close to Emperor Charles and V.V. "So, James Halford, count of New Virginia. You've came back to plot a personal vendetta," Lelouch thought to himself.

The elevator made its way to the top from the ground floor and Lelouch escorted Claire in. "So you lost your parents to aristocrats," Lelouch asked. Claire nodded in grief and cried against his chest. Her tears mixed with his blood.

"No matter how much I think about them. They will never be with me," she sobbed.

"I hated the nobility of Britannia. That is why I became Zero. I did what I must to bring justice into light and stop the insanity those over-privileged vermin who plundered from people below them."

"What you did change everything for the future but let's face it. It cannot change the past."

"I know what you mean. My mother was assassinated, and my sister crippled. Even with all the knowledge, all the power, I could not bring what was lost back to life."

"Sadly, some aristocrats have surfaced from their demotion through wealth and are plotting vengeance against you. If you do not hurry, your sister will be in danger. They want their ranks back, knowing she would not imprison or kill them."

"We will need all the resources we can get. If I can crush a superpower, I can surely crush this insurgency."

The elevator reached the bottom floor and they stood, looking at the bustling night city. "Claire," Lelouch began, "You and I, we are very alike. But if we want to see change, we must struggle for what we want. Only through struggle can our hopes become reality. Also, we fight for the people we care about, even the ones who we won't be seeing again."


	4. Code After Geass: Nights 13

**Note to he reader: I have merged several previous chapters with slightly more content and relabelled them as 'Nights.' More will come in this format. Hope you will enjoy!  
><strong>

**Code after Geass**

A straight dirt road stretched miles without end across the hills of a clean countryside. From a distance, there was nothing but one path and gorgeously green scenery. On either side of the hills, there were vividly green fields, vast as the eye could see. Patches of clover grass blanketed the space, releasing a special charm in its jittery atmosphere of liveliness. The sound of even trotting and rolling wheels echoed in the serene landscape – a first sign of civilisation. C.C. lay calmingly at the back of the cart, wearing an elegant dress that resembled the ones worn by maidens from a century earlier. She faced the clear blue sky with a calm smile and began, "I said Geass was the power of the king which would condemn you to a life of solitude." She looked back without moving an inch and continued, "Hmph, I think that is not quite correct. Right, Lelouch?"

"Hmph," the cart driver responded, "Geass was just an accursed symbol. Those who carry it were forever blamed for corrupting the natural flow of life, of existence, even time. However, deep inside rests a cold heart of shame and despair. Isn't that supposedly right C.C.?"

"Perhaps your interpretation is more correct," C.C. said with a smile.

"I don't know about that but there is only one absolute truth in this world," Lelouch replied.

"And what is that?"

"The greatest pain in life is to lose everybody around you."

"How unfortunate, I have lived that way for the past five hundred years."

"Do not despair C.C. As long as I am here, you won't ever be lonely."

"I am glad I've met you dear. This new world you created is something absolutely marvellous!"

"Please C.C.; I am not Lelouch vi Britannia. He is dead; a figure of history remembered by all to be the short-reigned tyrant."

"Call me Cecilia from now on, okay? Only then will I promise to love you. Our contract is broken remember?"

Lelouch thought to himself:

_She is right, the contract is no more. With Lelouch vi Britannia, who represented all the world's hatred has been erased off the Earth, the world is now a better place. Now in this post-war era, my future will be with her. C.C., I mean, Cecilia will no longer be in solitude as long as I am with her. I promised her that we will live a simple life together. _

"What contract? Lelouch Lamperouge didn't form a pact with a witch?"

"If you are not Lelouch vi Britannia anymore, then neither am I C.C. So don't call me a witch! I am a woman now; I am your woman."

Lelouch was startled by her last remark, "Did you just say…"

"Uh-huh, you heard me loud and clear, _did you_?"

"Well, I see somebody is honest."

"Is it wrong that I see myself that way?"

"I didn't say it was wrong. But it was rather interesting coming out of you. A fresh feeling perhaps I should put it."

"There you go again, treating me like when I was C.C.!"

"Alright, alright, you win!"

"It's not about winning! It's about my heart. Don't tell me you only know how to break one?"

"I will try my hardest not to."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Lelouch," C.C. began.

Lelouch returned, "Yes Cecilia?"

"Where exactly is this house you speak of?"

"Why it's here in the countryside! I bought it before the Zero Requiem."

"You just have to be different, do you?"

Lelouch chuckled and replied, "The world would be boring if everybody followed one conduct. By the way, that Code-Sealing trick you taught me was genius! I forgot to thank you."

"Since the day you first thanked me, you have thanked me enough. Don't mention it my love."

"That was the day I learned your name was Cecilia."

"I remembered it crystal clear. It was quite romantic actually, although the atmosphere in that cave wasn't quite matching the mood."

"Ha-ha, I never thought you had fallen for me since then!"

"I wasn't completely! That was just the beginning of our romance."

"Cecilia, Cecilia, you act so cute sometimes! It's just adorable."

C.C.'s face was flushed with embarrassment when those words slipped out of Lelouch's lips. She threw her doll and bag to Lelouch's right.

"Whoa, are you getting mad after a little tease from me," Lelouch asked in a jovial manner, "Come on, you tease me all the time!"

C.C. placed the pink paper crane Lelouch folded for her on his straw hat and climbed down to his side. Lelouch took off his hat and placed the paper crane in it. He spoke with a gentle tone, "Well, are you mad at me?" She hugged his arm and said, "No, I just needed some company."

_C.C., I mean Cecilia, UGH this is frustrating! Cecilia, like all people, changes by the times. As humanity progress, society evolve, technology improve, so does she. She has progressed and her personality has evolved. No longer is she a prisoner of the empire or a prisoner of her own heart. She is free from the shackles of oppression and free to express her true feelings. It turns out; the real Cecilia was sort of like the time she lost her memory. She is cute and selfless, unlike her cold demeanour before. I think I am beginning to enjoy this! There is still a playful spirit inside her and now she can finally let it out. Yep, I think I will come to enjoy this!_

"We're almost there Cecilia. Can you see that big house," Lelouch pointed at the horizon.

"I see it," C.C. exclaimed, "My, it looks wonderful!" The house looked like a villa, painted a blue hue and outlined in salmon.

"I know. It only costs fifty thousand pounds in this obscure place," Lelouch told her.

"I am just happy for the two of us. Let us live a merry life dearest Lelouch," she said.

Lelouch halted the cart at the front door. He tied a string to a wooden stake by the door and placed a boulder in front of the left hind wheel. "I am sick and tired of living in big cities. It is so cramped and insecure," Lelouch complained.

"So that was why you bought a house here in the open," C.C. asked.

"Partially, I use to live in the palaces of Britannia, where the cold metropolitan atmosphere was non-existent. Also, I just wanted a fresh start, a change in style."

"This place looks even more beautiful up close!"

"Go figure, this house was a built by a wealthy merchant over a century ago as a summer home. The place was last renovated when they sold it to the person I bought it from."

C.C. opened the door and walked in. She gasped at the spaciousness and beautifully decorated walls and ceilings. "This place is lovely," she exclaimed as she spun in circles by the entrance. "Oh the splendid windows and spiral staircase," she exclaimed wondrously as she climbed up the stairwell. Lelouch followed her upstairs after moving her items in. By the time he arrived, C.C. was indulging herself on the wide balcony facing the sun. Lelouch stepped through the glass door and wrapped his right arm around her shoulder. "Did I mention we get this spacious pasture to ourselves," he said.

C.C.'s face lit like a bright candle on a festive day, "Really? All this," she exclaimed.

"I am glad you like it," he said with a smile and smelled her lilac-fragrant hair.

"I can't express my feelings… it's so serene around here and alone with you…I," she stuttered.

"Cecilia, I will stay with you for eternity," he said as he inched his face closer to hers.

C.C. pressed her lips tenderly against his and closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her firm complexion for she was soulfully moved by his passion. "Lelouch, my true wish is to love and be loved. I love you and I am being loved by you," C.C. confessed, "Isn't this just gorgeous?"

"I love you as you desire, just how you like it," Lelouch answered her heart. They stood intimately in each other's arms, in their own privacy, without any observers but the warm afternoon sun.

_Her personality completely transformed. She was a lonely witch who spoke monotonously when we first met. All her woes were liberated from that heart of melancholy; she is now as vibrant as Mother Nature herself; full of joy and vivacity. I'm glad to be with her under this blissful field, this euphoric time. Let's just say, I fell for Cecilia at first sight._

* * *

><p>"For once Geass united the world. Most importantly, Geass united the two of us." (Lelouch vi Britannia)<p>

"Lelouch let me be with you—always."(C.C.)

**Marianne**

The next morning, Lelouch and C.C. awoke from a good night's rest. The sun showered luminously, through every window in the near-empty house. "Cecilia, there is a small town nearby and I will be gone for two or three hours to buy some fresh food. Stay here and don't go wandering off somewhere. I want to be sure you are safe," Lelouch said by the front door.

"I promise my darling," she replied and gave him a farewell kiss, "I am expecting a feast when you get back."

Lelouch climbed onto the wooden cart and said, "Wouldn't a romantic dinner with select meats, mushroom and good wine be better?"

"Oh you just have to be like this, don't you," was C.C.'s response.

"When it comes down to my fair lady, you deserve the best quality! You know that, don't you," he said with a smirk and started the cart.

"I'll be home in a short while," Lelouch hollered as he waved on the rolling cart, "Be good!"

C.C. stood alone, under the glorious sunlight, in her Victorian dress and braided hair. She spoke quietly to herself with her hands firmly clasped against her bosom, "Marianne, your son is so charming. I couldn't thank you any more at a time like this."

Lelouch was whistling on the path to the town ahead. With his eyes facing straight ahead, he missed a girl who stood on the open countryside hills. Her pink locks tousled in the summer breeze when her eyes fixed onto Lelouch's grey vest and white sleeves. She dropped a basket of oranges and they landed flat in a chaotic arrangement. The girl was startled: very startled, but she did not move from her spot, nor did she speak. Her eyes tracked the cart as it passed swiftly until it was too far to see. And then, the girl picked up her orchard harvest and walked calmly as if nothing had happened.

"What did you say," asked a man with aquamarine hair.

"I saw Lelouch vi Britannia," the girl replied.

"Ha-ha! That is good news Anya, master Lelouch has finally settled down," the man erupted in pride and joy, "He said he would join us in the countryside when the time is right."

"I don't get it. I am starting to have memories of my own but they are so deceptive," said Anya Alstreim.

"You only know half the story about your scheduled mock-execution, Anya! I, Jeremiah Gottwald will tell you what happened before we became orange farmers!"

"Enlighten me then."

"You see, it all began with his former highness' wish. He wanted to build a better world, a gentler world for his sister, Empress Nunnally vi Britannia. But there was another part to this two-sided sword of a tale. He wanted to confront his father and learn the truth of her Excellency Lady Marianne's premature death."

"You are referring to Marianne the Flash?

"Indeed, she was a noble woman in her own right but was brutally assassinated on the day of my first mission. Lelouch was her only son and he wanted answers. But when he requested an audience of the royal court, he was denied an answer and banished to Japan."

"Poor boy, this story was not made public."

"Precisely, it was never spoken of even amongst the royal family, unlike the death of Prince Clovis and Euphemia. Well back to the point, after Lelouch killed his father, he obtained something that gave him immortality, so he switched his plans in reconstructing Britannia and to accumulate, if you will, hatred towards him. The Zero's Requiem, guised as a mass execution was his final solution to end his false tyranny and free the world of suffering. The truth was he never executed the people who opposed his government. That was just a message he personally declared to intimidate citizens. All he ever did was imprisoned those who rebelled, mainly aristocratic families and kept them in a prison for up to two months. They were released after the Zero's Requiem. Your scheduled execution was the only one dispatched for the public to see."

"I see, so the Lelouch vi Britannia we all thought we knew faked his image."

"Correct, unlike most monarchs who fake their image as good rulers, he did the opposite."

"Then he died innocent, yet people today blame all the evil on him."

"That is why I respect him as a man of honour and dignity."

"If he is not dead, then we should pay him a visit," Anya suggested.

"Brilliant idea! Why don't we just do that? Our harvest is nearing its end anyways, we might as well pay him a visit sooner or later," Jeremiah agreed.

Lelouch drove his cart into the town with everybody staring at him. "Good morning! I am new around here and I would like to know where the fruit stands are," Lelouch asked the people who froze around his vehicle. Lelouch attempted again but with a sheepish face, "Sorry about the cart, my house is far away."

"Could it be," cried a man from the side.

"He looks like Lelouch vi Britannia," a woman whispered nearby into her husband's ear.

Lelouch looked around and spot a man walking by his cart and asked, "Excuse me but is there a winery somewhere?"

The man exclaimed with a terrified look and fell to the ground, "Good god! Lelouch vi Britannia is back!"

"Sorry, you must have mistook me for him," Lelouch reacted alarmingly, "I am not Lelouch vi Britannia, he is dead! I am just a citizen who just moved into the country! I'm come here to shop for groceries!"

"You look a lot like him, we were just surprised when you drove in town," a woman said.

"That's nice but I'm afraid I am stuck," Lelouch pointed with a wide smile.

"Let him pass," a man cried from the crowd.

Lelouch proceeded to the heart of the town as people returned to their daily.

_Despite this place being undeveloped, people still recognize my face. There are things that make a person who they are and that is their personality. Unfortunately, people judge by one's outer appearance over the nature of their heart. I would have to act dumb to convince the people around here that I am not a dead emperor resurrected. _

"Goodbye everyone, see you all soon," Lelouch yelled in a jolly manner on his moving cart. The townsfolk waved back with content looks. One old lady remarked, "He can't be the tyrant Lelouch vi Britannia. He is too nice of a lad. A good kid he is." Lelouch whistled on his way home, a tune that sounded like a waltz. In the middle of his journey, his horses stopped when a masked man and petite girl obstructed the way. "Anya! Hi, nice to meet you here! You look pretty in that dress," Lelouch commented cheerfully whilst he was startled, "You too Jeremiah, what brings you here?"

Anya and Jeremiah each went around the horses to opposite side of the cart and sat beside Lelouch. "I am honoured to see you again Lelouch vi Britannia," said Jeremiah boldly.

"Please, don't call me by that name anymore. He is history."

"Right, then what should we call you?"

"Call me Lelouch Lamperouge. Mr. Lamperouge is even better."

"Very well then Mr. Lamperouge."

"Maybe you could start by dropping the formalities. People would be less suspicious if you are relaxed.

"I will."

"So what have you two been up to?"

"We own an orange orchard just southwest of this direction we're moving. It was actually my private estate."

"Heh-heh, I see you have truly become 'Orange Boy'."

Anya giggled at that statement and looked at Lelouch's handsome face with a soft stare. Jeremiah looked at the groceries between him and Lelouch and couldn't help but notice what he bought, "I see you bought a bottle of Bordeaux wine, steak, a whole bunch of produce and oranges. Did you buy the local ones?"

"Do you mean the oranges," Lelouch asked for clarification.

"Yes."

"Yes, they are yours right?"

"Aw! We could have given you some if you came by our orchard! Anya luckily found you today, right Anya!"

"Right," Anya replied with her dull voice.

"To be honest, I just arrived yesterday and moved to a large house where we're heading," Lelouch replied, "Maybe in the future, how about tomorrow?"

"That would be fine," said Jeremiah.

The conversation lasted for another fifteen minutes until…

"Well, home sweet home," Lelouch said.

"Amazing, this is the old Schroeder manor, a summer lodging of the old Schroeders," said Jeremiah.

"I know and I couldn't believe the last owner sold it for only fifty thousand pounds."

"Fifty thousand pounds? It is worth about ten times more! Did you use Geass or something?"

"You make me laugh Jeremiah. I bought this with the money I had before the Zero Requiem."

"Only fifty thousand pounds? That is less than my estate!"

"Well, I welcome you as guests of the house," Lelouch welcomed Jeremiah and Anya into the house. He yelled, "Cecilia, I'm home."

"Who is this Cecilia," Jeremiah asked.

Lelouch smiled and proudly said, "She is my lover."

"You had a secret affair," Jeremiah questioned.

Lelouch chuckled at his reaction and said, "Mr. Gottwald, there is much you do not know about me!" C.C. walked down the stairs in her dress, jumped into his arms and kissed him. Jeremiah cleared his throat. C.C. turned around apologized, "Sorry for my informal introduction. I am Cecilia, nice to meet you!"

"My you have an energetic sweetheart," Jeremiah said.

Anya looked at C.C. with a bored expression.

Lelouch burst out into laughter, he couldn't hold himself.

"What is so funny," Anya said monotonously.

"Nothing…Jeremiah your face was just rich back there. Oh you should have looked at it," Lelouch said with uncontrollable laughter. It was quite random but everybody gave in except Anya. She remained utterly confused. Lelouch started to calm down and continued, "Come in, I will whip up a meal for all of us."

"Do you need help," Jeremiah offered.

"No. I'm fine by myself. The three of you can get acquainted." Lelouch walked into the kitchen while the others gathered into the living room.

"I used to serve your partner Miss Cecilia but there is a lot I don't know about him," Jeremiah Gottwald began.

"I know her," Anya stated.

"You know her," Jeremiah was puzzled.

"She is C.C., not Cecilia. We have random conversations all the time but I never see her."

"What are you talking about?"

"She must be joking," C.C. said.

"I am not. You don't have to hide it anymore, it is safe now," Anya asserted, "You always called me Marianne and talk about your relationship with Lelouch."

"Marianne," Jeremiah asked, "You knew Marianne?"

"That was why I couldn't remember everything. Marianne took over my mind periodically," Anya explained.

C.C. smiled and confessed the truth, "It is true. Lady Marianne had a Geass power of her own, one that could transfer her mind into another's body. Anya was the one she chose."

"But why," Jeremiah inquired.

"I was there. I witnessed Lady Marianne's death and she saw me. That was the beginning of my frequent amnesias."

"But why would a little girl be in a secured room at night?"

"The truth is, when I first saw Lelouch face as the new emperor, I did not see an emperor in him. Instead, I saw the face of an innocent boy who had been on my camera phone for ten years,"

"You knew him back then?"

"I was a lady in training under the tutelage of Lady Marianne and we always met her kids. Lelouch was the first to ask for my name and I told him I was Anya. We were at a garden and he picked two roses. I liked him so I took a picture so I wouldn't forget his kind face. He handed me one of the roses and said, "Here you go Anya, just remember these roses represent our friendship." Till this day, I still remember that day over many others."

"Wow, I never knew he was always the ladies man."

"Returning to how I obtained Lady Marianne's memories. I wanted to see Lelouch in private so I snuck into the bedchambers in the Aries Palace after dark, which was against the curfew rule. Instead, I found Lady Marianne and Nunnally. Nunnally was giving her mother a goodnight hug, so I hid behind the stairs, away from their sight. After that, it was a blur. I heard bullets and Lelouch's voice moments later. When I came out, my mind went blank and my memories fragmented. You were right, her assassination was brutal; I was there."

"So that was why you told me you don't have memories."

"Ten years later, she came in," Anya said as she pointed at C.C., "He had probably forgotten about me and seeing how introverted I am, I have given up hope."

Lelouch came out of the kitchen, holding four plates of food in two hands and said, "Dinner is served!"

C.C. stood and said, "It's such a shame our evening plans were ruined."

"We have a lot of time Cecilia, but guests are more important. Now it is an evening for all of us to enjoy," Lelouch said with optimism.

The company of four joined at the dining hall but there was no table in sight. "Silly me, I forgot we don't have any furniture yet," Lelouch exclaimed, "I guess we have to eat on the floor! Sorry about that!"

"This is delicious Lelouch; I never knew you could cook so well. Princes just aren't meant to do that," Jeremiah remarked.

"Living alone with Nunnally in Japan led to the need of taking care of her. It was out of necessity and I had to cater to Nunnally's expectations so that was how I became proficient at making dishes," Lelouch answered.

"Is something wrong Anya," Lelouch asked, seeing her down face.

"It's nothing really," was her reply.

"You hardly touched your food Anya. Is it too strong?"

"No, it's good."

"Well, the food will not eat itself! Here, I will feed you. Have a taste of this creamed mushroom; I remember you used to love it at Aries Palace!"

Tears flowed out of Anya's eyes, perhaps the first in ten years. "Anya, are you crying," Jeremiah asked, "You never cry." Jeremiah pointed at the poor girl, "She never cried."

Lelouch stared at her eyes as she teared emotionally and said, "Cecilia… I."

"You have to talk to her," C.C. said.

Lelouch nodded and held Anya's hand, guiding her to the living room. When they left, Jeremiah said, "I've never seen her smile and I certainly never seen her cry before."

"Women like to cry with others around them. She was probably moved by Lelouch's memory of their childhood," C.C. deduced.

"I see," Jeremiah said after a sigh.

Lelouch and Anya were kneeling on the floor under the rays of the setting sun. He asked her, "What has gotten into you? Is something bothering you?"

"No," she wept.

"Is it someone?"

She nodded.

"Who is it," he asked.

"You," Anya replied, pointing at the man in front of her.

"Me? What did I do to harm you?"

"You didn't harm me in any way. I am crying tears of happiness. Now that I know you still remember me back at Aries Palace."

"Of course I do, you were always with Nunnally that I treated you like a second sister."

"I was your second sister?"

"Yes, I liked you a lot Anya."

Anya did what was unexpected of her; she hugged Lelouch and whispered into his ear, "I liked you a lot as well."

Lelouch patted her on the back and said, "I am glad you still remember after all of your reports of amnesia. I am very proud you persisted to record your memories."

Anya stared at his hypnotic violet eyes and said, "You commanded me to remember it, to remember the roses."

Lelouch wasn't very sure what she meant about the roses but he decided to go with what she said, "Yes, the roses. They were special weren't they?"

"They were to the two of us," Anya replied.

When the sun was about to set, Lelouch drove Anya and Jeremiah back to their orchard. It was a chatty evening, between Jeremiah and Lelouch at least. Anya on the other hand was quiet, as usual, and she comforted herself, "Marianne, you have screwed up two thirds of my life thus far. But you have taught me a lot and I thank you. I thank you for keeping my personal memories of Lelouch intact. It was one of the few rewarding ones. Rest in peace my fair lady."

**Vengeance**

The sun was sinking behind the tall mountains afar, and the sky composed of violet bands. Lelouch reached into his vest pocket for his timepiece and checked the time. I was nine o'clock. When he turned around a wall to the front door, he noticed the door was left open. "Cecilia," he shouted, "Are you home?" There was no answer. He tried again, "Cecilia, are you in the house;" still no answer. He stepped into house and it was pitch black. "Cecilia, I hope you aren't teasing me again," he hollered in the dark. Lelouch found a note stuck to the door with duct tape. "What the hell," he said as he ripped the note off. He reached his hands for the light switch and flicked it on. To his shock, he discovered a pool of blood on the floor before reading the note. "No," he yelled in dismay, "No! Who could have done this?" He read the note immediately:

_By the time you've picked up this note, your mistress C.C. would have been kidnapped. If you want her back, decipher this code (this one should be a cinch) and it will lead you closer to her. I promise I will not do anything to her._

_P.S. my henchmen were told to apprehend her in any fashion necessary. _

_JRWR ELJ FORFN WRZHU LQ IHQLA_

Lelouch looked at the piece of paper and laughed at its mediocrity, "Do they think I am retarded? Everyone knows this is the Caesarean Cipher! All I have to do is look for the distribution and calculate my way! Judging from the number of R's in this string, R must equal E or O!" he picked up a pen from his left pocket and scratched to lines. He worked on the code for twenty minutes and deciphered the message. It read: GOTO BIG CLOCK TOWER IN FENIX.

He commented on his labour, "I take it back; they were quite clever to replace the frequency of E with O and screw around with the syntax, merging go to and changing Phoenix. Then there is more reason why they must pay!" Lelouch shut the front door and tucked the note underneath. He released one of the horses and jumped onto the back of the horse from the seat of the cart. "Hyah," he yelled and rode into the night.

Lelouch arrived at the big clock tower in Phoenix at twelve o'clock sharp. The bustling city was overwhelmingly decorated with bright lights at midnight. He glared at the tower of grandiose proportions as it rang twelve times. It was a magnificent work of engineering, with the many gears moving in sync, gilded everywhere, but he was not in the mood to take a second gander. He thought to himself in deepest hatred, "Those bastards won't get away with this," and marched into the oversized grandfather clock. Lelouch entered an old elevator to the observation deck, where he expected C.C. was taken. When he arrived at the top, she was not in sight. Instead, he saw a girl in her late teens, enjoying the full moon on the observation deck. She was wearing a beret and carrying a bag around her shoulder, appearing stylish as if she was scheduled to meet her lover. "Sorry to bother you Miss," Lelouch said with respect, "I must be on the wrong floor." He turned around and stepped away.

"This night view of the city is so beautiful, too bad you aren't here to enjoy it with me," the girl said. Her voice sounded sweet like a little girl's.

"Huh," Lelouch was alarmed, "Are you talking to me."

"If C.C. is who you are after, you have guessed the right floor," the girl replied. Lelouch stopped immediately with a cold shudder, "Who are you?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Alright then, where is C.C.?"

"I'm afraid to tell you, she is not here."

Lelouch returned to the girl and she turned around as well. He never met this girl before. She had mahogany hair flowing to her shoulders, red eyes and a tiny mole under her left eye.

"You're leader told me to come here after he kidnapped her and tells me she is someplace else," Lelouch asked.

"Bingo. My master wants something in exchange for C.C," the girl said.

"What is that?"

"My duty here is only to tell you what my master expects from you. After that, you can do anything to me and he wouldn't care."

"You are a dirty girl working for a sick man! Just to tell you, her life is not something that can be traded."

"Do you speak about your love for her or her immortality? My master is well aware of Geass, Code, C.C. and you, _Lelouch Lamperouge_!"

"Who is this all-knowing master you refer to? Why is he such a coward not to show me who he is?"

"Weren't you the same _Lelouch Lamperouge_? Weren't you once a masked terrorist yourself?"

"I fought for justice!"

"How do you know my master is not as well? If you want a video message, here is one."

The girl reached into her bag and pulled out a phone. She showed the video recording and Lelouch jaws dropped at the sight of it. Before the leader spoke, Lelouch immediately recognized the face.

The video played:

_Greetings Lelouch Lamperouge! I am Zero! I know you are still alive and will be living for quite a long awhile. I will kill you if it is the last thing I do! You are a despicable demon who must be slain! I cannot allow you to live!_

"Suzaku! I thought you promised me that you will live only as Zero for peace," Lelouch yelled in anger, "What have you done?"

_Ha-ha! If you think Suzaku Kururugi is behind this mask then think again! Suzaku is right here!_

In the video, Suzaku's eyes were wide open and his head was stuck on a stake. Beside the severed head was his torso and limbs locked in chains. It was a gory sight to gruesome to describe without a gut wrenching reaction.

_That's right…the lord protector has been slain as well. Soon the world will learn of this truth and all of your efforts for order will be wasted. If you were wondering how your friend was decapitated, haven't you ever heard of stun weapons, HMMM? C.C. has been a good girl for she is a very valuable asset for luring you, and maybe even Nunnally! So long sucker, taste vengeance! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!_

"THAT AMATEUR CREEP," Lelouch yelled in rage; his hands clenched, "He killed Suzaku in such a horrendous way! Now he wants to interfere with the Empress! GNAAAAAH! This I cannot accept this!"

"Doesn't that remind you of anyone in particular," The mahogany-haired girl remarked with a sly smirk, "By the way? How are you so sure my master is male?"

"Shut up you pathetic minor! I don't understand why a young woman like you would work for this perverted person! Give me that," Lelouch snatched the phone from her hands and bent it in two.

"Destroying my phone will not help you in any way," the girl said.

"It will prevent you from escaping me," Lelouch said, "Because I want to know what your master wants?"

The girl pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him. She fired a round through his chest but he didn't budge, "I have Code if you don't know. Silly weapons will not affect me!" Lelouch grabbed he girl's arm and tapped into her memories. She was petrified by the influx of recollections. Lelouch closed his eyes while the gun shook out of the girl's hand, "I see now. You were forced into this business. You were coerced by the corrupt nature of men. I see the pain, the suffering from what you had to go through…Claire."

"Stop master," the girl yelled in tears, "Please, don't go in!"

Lelouch stopped the search when he saw those painful recollections and fell short of breath. The girl, Claire shuddered in fear and collapsed. Lelouch stopped her from falling and brought her into the clock tower's interior. "Claire, you are a poor soul, I don't want you to see him again," Lelouch said as he held onto her while sitting against the wall of the clock tower. Minutes later, he fell asleep.

"_Lelouch," cried a voice but he couldn't see her. It was the voice of C.C. in danger._

"_C.C.," he yelled with a heavy force on his chest._

"_Don't leave me," C.C. voice echoed from another direction. He heard the sound of sobbing trailing behind him._

The clock struck three. Lelouch awoke from the call and the sun hasn't appeared in the sky. Claire wasn't with him when he awoke from his short and disturbing rest. "Huh? Where did she go," he wondered. Then he heard the sounds of a crying maiden. "Claire," he shouted. The girl looked at him in sorrow, stood up and ran for the elevator. Lelouch followed her and found her pressing on the elevator button incessantly while crying. "I am deeply sorry I hurt your feelings Claire," Lelouch began to sympathize with her; "I won't do that again."

"But you did it once and that was despicable! You are absolutely despicable Lelouch! Those memories were private! I felt violated inside," Claire yelled.

"I am sorry," Lelouch repeated, "It is something I should have asked for permission."

Claire slapped him across his face and said, "Do you think apologies are enough?"

"No, I don't. But I wanted to know who stole C.C. from me."

"My memories are not for you to know. You peeked into my past for what you seek."

"I understand, they weren't good memories. I was crying inside."

"You wouldn't understand! You are lucky to be born a man!"

"You are wrong Claire! A man is not born luckier than a woman! They are cruel and exploitive, corrupt in every way. I wouldn't call that luck, I call that evil."

"Then you admit you are the same."

"I can't deny it and I can't deny my father was any better."

"Then leave me alone."

"Look, if we don't talk this out, you will always be hiding in your own shadow and produce tears of despair. What are you going to do when that despair accumulates?"

"I don't know and it is none of your business!"

"You will sink only deeper into the pit of despair and that will lead to death if you do not accept how lucky you are to be alive."

"How am I lucky to be alive? It is because I am alive that I have to suffer! My family was killed by the nobility and I was forced to serve them. My life was the opposite of a blessing."

"Do you feel better being a criminal? Is it gratifying to kill others and rob them? Do you feel satisfied after you cheat somebody?"

"No."

"Then why do you follow them?"

"I am trapped. I can't leave or I will die."

"Then do not follow them. Join me and I will protect you. I swear, I will protect you and end this dirty business of theirs."

"Do you promise?"

"I vow as long as I live, I want to see you continue your life smiling."

"You have my trust, for now."

"Now, I want you to tell me who is in charge?"

"He is a wealthy man who wants your head."

"Where did he learn of Geass and Code?"

"He is familiar of the lore."

"What does he want from C.C.?"

"There is one thing you don't know about Code. There is another way to kill people like you."

"He also wants her dead? But he promised he will not do anything to her."

"Do you trust a man like that? He wants to exterminate your kind."

"How does he know she was with me?"

"From the young man he killed."

"That twisted man! He will pay with his life!"

"Now you know how evil he is."

"I have one more question. What is his name?"

"He goes by the name Lord Halford."

Lelouch remembered an aristocrat by the name Halford when he stripped them of their rank. A supervisor of Geass research, he was close to Emperor Charles and V.V. "So, James Halford, count of New Virginia. You've come back to plot a personal vendetta," Lelouch thought to himself.

The elevator made its way to the top from the ground floor and Lelouch escorted Claire in. "So you lost your parents to aristocrats," Lelouch asked. Claire nodded in grief and cried against his chest. Her tears mixed with his blood.

"No matter how much I think about them. They will not be with me," she sobbed.

"I hated the nobility of Britannia. That is why I became Zero. I did what I must to bring justice into light and stop the insanity those over-privileged vermin who plundered from people below them."

"What you did change everything for the future but let's face it. It cannot change the past."

"I know what you mean. My mother was assassinated, and my sister crippled. Even with all the knowledge, all the power, I could not bring what was lost back to life."

"Sadly, some aristocrats have surfaced from their demotion through wealth and are plotting vengeance against you. If you do not hurry, your sister will be in danger. They want their ranks back, knowing she would not imprison or kill them."

"We will need all the resources we can get. If I can crush a superpower, I can surely crush this insurgency."

The elevator reached the bottom floor and they stood, looking at the bustling night city. "Claire," Lelouch began, "We are very alike you and I. But if we want to see change, we must struggle for what we want. Only through struggle can our hopes become reality. Also, we fight for the people we care about, even the ones who we won't be seeing again."


End file.
